Improvement in velocipedes



`C. CALLAGHAN.

Y velocipede.

No. 85,640. Patented-1an. 5, 1869.`

,Staten '@atgttia.

CORNELIUS. CALLAG-I-IAN, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS. Letters PateutNo. 85,640, dated January 5, 1869.

IMPROVEMENT IN VELOCIPEDES.

Tho cheule referxedto in these Letters Patent and making part of the same.

To all io whom these presents shall come Beit known that LGORNELrUs GALLAGHAN, of Boston, in the county of Suifolk, and State of Massachusetts, have made an invention of certain new and useful Improvements in a Species of Vehiclesvknown as Velocipedes and do hereby declare the following tobe a full, clear, and exact description thereof, due

' refer-ence being had to the accompanying drawings,

making part of this specification, and in which,

Figure 1 is a plan, Figure 2, a side elevation,` and Figure 3, `a rear-end elevation of a velocipede con'- taining my invention or improvements.

The principal object sought, in making this invention, Ais to provide means whereby to enable the driver or rider of avelocipede to applythe power of his hands and feet together, or either alone, at pleasure, to propel the vehicle, according to varying conditions in the surface or' grade of the road travelled by it, and con* sists in combining with the driving-axle a pair of treadles and hand-levers, in such manner, that by applying the feet to the former, and the `hands to the latter, a much greater amount of power may be exerted to propel the vehicle than would be the case were either alone brought into service.

' In the drawings, before mentioned as accompanying thisspeciiicatiom and whichillustrate my invention- A denotes the body Aof a velocipede, composed of side-frames or rails a a, and a platform, b, the rear part ofeach of such rails being given an upward yoke-shaped bend, c, for supporting the riders seat, which is shown at d, such seat being supported upon springs e e, vspanning the supports c c.

The rear and drivingaxle is shown, at e', as supportedfin suitable boxes applied to the ends of the siderails a' a, the wheelscarried by such axle being shown at ff' respectively,A one being iixed to the axle, and revolving with it, while the other turns locsely upon such axle, such arrangement of wheels being to facilita'te the turning ofthevehicle in curves of compara tively small radius.

The forward and steering-wheel is shown at g as supported within the lower part of a furcated post, h, the upper end of such post being swivelled to an arched cross-bar, i', extending from and connecting two posts, j j, making part of the boundary of the side-rails of the vehicle, as represented.

The upper extremity of the post h is provided with a tiller or handle, k, for steering the wheel, such handle being pivoted to the post in such manner as to be capable of being turned up into a perpendicular position Y be driven with ease in any given direction in a right line.

The drivin g-axle e' is provided with two cranks, Z l, applied to each side of its centre, and at right angles to each other', such cranks being connected by rods m m to arms -n n, extending rearward at an angle of about forty-tive degrees from a rockersl1aft, o, this shaft being disposed in front of the rear axle, and under the front edge of the drivers seat, and supported in bearings made in the side-rails aa.

Two treadles,p p, are iixed upon the shaft o, and alongside of the arms n n, before' mentioned, and by means of which the rider is enabled, bythe application of his feet, to propel the vehicle. Y Upon each' of the outerextrernities of the shaft o, a hand-lever, q or q', is applied, the upper ends or handles of s-uch levers being extended into such a position, with respect to the drivers seat, as to be readily grasped by the band of the rider.

Each lever q is to be connected with the shaft o in such manner as `to be readily clutched to, and so as to actuate such shaft, or to be disconnected from such shaft, as occasion requires, the mode adopted in the present instance to accomplish this being to aiix the lower end of the lever to a disk, s, which encompasses the shaft loosely,and so as to be susceptible of considerable movement-thereupon; while, vfixed upon each outer extremity of the shaft, is a collar, t, such collar serving to retainthe disk and lever in proper position upon suchrshaft.

Furthermore, the upper part of the collar tis notched, as shown at "u, in the drawings, the notch being of the proper sizeI to receive a spur, c, formed-upon the side of each lever q.

When it is desirable to apply the power of the riders hands, in addition to that of the feet, to propel the vehicle, as, for ipstance, in 'ascending a hill, or when riding on a rough road, the hand-levers are to be depressed'until their spurs o extend into the notches u u ofthe collars t t, when such levers become locked to the shaft o, and serve,.in connection with the treadles, to rotate the driving-axle and Wheels, and propel the vehiele.

In descending an inclined plane, or'when running upon a level and smooth surface, either the hand-levers or the treadles may be used alone, without regard to the other, thus allowing the rider to rest alternately his hands and feet, and enabling ajourney of great distance to be performed with much more ease than were either member employed without cessation.

f the feet alone are to be employed for any considerable length of time, the hand-levers should be e1evated from contact with the collars t t, a hook, w, being formed upon each lever, to catch upon a pin, x, applied to the side-rails a a, and maintain the levers in this position until necessity or occasion requires Atheir being brought into use.

I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Let ters Patent of thelUnited States, as follows:

l. As an improvement in the construction of velocipedes, combining a pair of treadles, and of disconnecting or detachable hand-levers therewith, in such manner as to be enabled to apply the power of both together, or each pair singly, as occasionl requires, as and for the purpose substantially as before explained.

2.. I claim the application of the hand-levers of a velocipede to its propelling-mechanism', in such manner as to be able to connect or disconnect them in respect thereto, for the purpose as before set forth and explained.

3. yIn the construction ot` velocipedes, I claim combining the tiller with the steering-post, so as to be able to turn such post into a perpendicular position, essentially in manner and for the purpose as herein shown and described.

CORNELIUS OALLAGHAN.

Witnesses:

FRED. CURTIS,

EDWARD. GRIFFITH. 

